Day 2 - Jane Austen's Mansfield Park

This past Wednesday we watched one episode of the 1983 TV series and completed the rest of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park by watching the less authentic, more aesthetically pleasing 1999 film version. Though the film may conjure a few misinterpretations of Austen's novel, the general themes seem to convey similar messages to the audience.

In the novel, Austen writes "There will be little rubs and disappointments everywhere, and we are all apt to expect too much; but then, if one scheme of happiness fails, human nature turns to another; if the first calculation is wrong, we make a second better; we find comfort somewhere." This theme of changing schemes and making calculations better in order to modify the "norms", I believe, encompasses a large part of what Austen is trying to convey, whether it's her portrayal of women in society or her views on colonialism. Fanny Price, the protagonist, is portrayed as a fairly radical means of influencing change.

In terms of women in society, Fanny refuses to be married against her will, despises men such as Sir Thomas for judging her based on her looks, and cannot bear to be looked upon as the daughter of a low-class family. Fanny wants people to recognize her for who she is, not for who she is supposed to be. Edmund is one of the few individuals who embraces Fanny for her personality and wit, and this empowers Fanny with the confidence to facilitate change within her family. She ends up marrying Edmund, and Sir Thomas eventually abandons his work in Antigua and accepts Fanny for who she is.

Although Fanny may be a bit psychologically complex, and although her actions may even be viewed today as extreme for her time, I believe it is people like Fanny, people with strong moral values and a deep understanding of their surroundings, that can best communicate a sense of urgency and moral obligation.